I grew up watching horror movies and sadly, a large portion of what I grew up with (primarily creature films) aren’t here. Regardless, this is KyleeLane.com worthy on the principal that I really like cussing love horror films.

FILMS:

**CHAPTER ONE (Haunted Houses & Ghost Stories)**
11-11-11
1408
The Amityville Horror (2005)
The Awakening
Dawn of the Dead
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
The Eye
Fragile
The Haunting (1963)
The Haunting in Connecticut
Insidious
Mirrors
The Orphanage
Paranormal Activity 2
Poltergeist
The Shining
Shutter Island
Silent Hill
Triangle
The Uninvited
The Ward
White Noise
The Woman in Black

**CHAPTER TWO (Angels & Demons)**
Constantine
Devil
Drag Me To Hell
End of Days
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The Exorcist
Legion
Lost Highway
The Ninth Gate
The Omen
The Prophecy
The Rite
Sleepy Hollow
Stigmata
Suspiria

I have read a multitude of articles on how to use social media and how not to use it. How to market yourself, how to sell your wares…blah blah blah.

A few days ago I was scrolling through twitter and I came across Craig. He used the hashtag #wordmongering and it caught my attention. Gave him a virtual highfive and carried on with my day. Next morning, another minor social interaction and then I decided to be the creeper I am and google stalk. Well, it turns out Craig is an author and he wrote a book of short stories called “Not Before Bed.”

Side note: I cussing love short-story horror. The instant gratification. The fast coming, intense high from the immeditate fear or a twist ending. I really like it. *cough*

So I decide to read Craig’s book, after I finally get the Kindle app on my iPad2. I buy his book off Amazon and I read it in two nights.

Remember when we use to hold these?

Pause. I just went out of my way to find his book only to discover I couldn’t read it instantly w/o an app. I did not buy my ipad to read. I install said app, along with the Amazon app, pay money for the digital download and now I have what he wrote in my hands. All in about 3 minutes. Thank you, Future.

Now, really, I just sat down to write what I personally thought of the Craig’s stories — but a long post that would not make. Personally, I am not educated enough to ever write a review. I don’t understand the rules of grammar and make love to spell check hourly. However, some words on my experience…

“Not Before Bed” was written in the same manner I speak in my head. A few moments weren’t very clear to me; some movement was hard for me to visualize. But I feel my life bar went up a few notches for having read these stories. I DID read them before bed — in bed actually — and seriously, the story “Sarah and the Monster” scared the shit out of me. However, I wanted to be scared. I also wanted to be in the story.

What Craig wrote played into exactly what I wanted. Instant gratification. I work 14 hour shifts and as much as I want to read, I can’t right now as I grow my business. Short stories are my only indulgence and this set of stories nailed it.

What should you take away from this? (other than the fact that I cannot stay on topic) It’s this — if you have something, anything to offer — you want to be a writer, a crafter, go into business…do it. Simply put what you love out there and people will find it. Put a link in your profile and carry on with your day. Be genuine and genuine people will seek out what you do and who you are. It really is that simple.

One hashtag in a forever stream of tweets and I now have the writings of another person forever in my head. Technology aiding to the simplicity of just being. So I ask, what have you always wanted to contribute, anything creative your are working on right now? As always, I would love to hear in the comments below.

Our first soap for 2012 has been released and it happens to be comic book inspired. As to why, well, as a company specializing in “geek” it only seems natural, and obvious…but really, that has nothing to do with it…mostly.

Quick note, if this is the first time reading me, I write how I speak. I apologize for my punctuation abuse…

As some of you know, I cross business and personal all of the time. It is hard for me to separate the two because what I create is directly influenced by what I live and love. In days past, I had never really been a huge comic fan. *gasp!* I just simply never had access to comic books. I hadn’t even been into a real comic shop until my early twenties… However, my son has managed to completely change this and my products are reflecting it.

Quick history on Trent. He has a very hard time interacting socially and repeated kindergarten because he wasn’t ready for the chaotic social structure that was forming and he was also having a hard time with letters, seeing a lot of things backwards which then led to a hate for reading. He wanted nothing to do with it because it was difficult and he couldn’t understand it.

Trent reading during soccer practice.

Enter his first Clone Wars Graphic Novel…So, his second year of kindergarten is over and we begin spending a lot of time in the library. While poking around in the pre-teen section he finds the book that started it all, and like a fool, I don’t remember which one it was, but he did end up reading every last novel he could find that summer.

I had gone to ComicCon during that time and StarFest earlier in the year. I bought tons and tons and TONS of old comics for the kids and by default, I was starting to really get into them. Add this giant plethora of reading material to his all ready giant stack of books and fast forward six months… My son had taught himself how to read.

I kid you not. As soon as my son found something he wanted to read it was all down hill from there. Comics worked so well for him because it was a lot of one word to one frame. With so many visual clues as to what a word is, from character expression to movement being demonstrated, he just figured out how to put it all together. He had learned the fundamentals in school, now he had found his own way to apply them. #win

Oh yeah, I originally had started writing this to tell you about soap…

So, about said soap…In tribute to the characters we have fallen in love with over the last year, which really, have all been older versions from the 60’s/70’s (We have to keep it kid friendly you know…) we have released the Marvelous Guest Soap. Our tiny tribute to the heroes that taught my son the joy of reading.

As a side note, on DC versus Marvel…I am more partial to Marvel because I am in love with Benjamin Grimm, however I have girl lust for Batman…What are you gonna do, right? We are an equal opportunity science fiction household and the same holds true for comics, as you will see this year in our soap designs…

I would LOVE to hear how comics have influenced your life in the comments below. What are your favorites? Who do you wish you could be?

P.S. I have two blogs here, one for business (product updates/development notes) and one for pleasure (being an ultra cool mom/education ranting) …already I find that I can’t categorize most of what I write. >.< How do you people with multiple blogs do it??

Hope everyone had a beautiful Holiday Season full of sweet treats and epic squees of joy.

We stayed very busy with work and very sick kids until a few days before Christmas where we just shut the doors, turned off the phones, hung blankets over the windows and watched movies and snuggled. Kids slept in until almost 10am on Christmas morning…which was the best gift they could have given us…

Next year will be our first Christmas in the new house so we spent a fair amount of time reflecting on our journey to buying said house. As most of you know, right now we are living (and running the business) above a garage in our future backyard. There was no space for a tree or decorations, though the kids did manage to draw and decorate plenty. Rory and I decided not to buy gifts for each other anymore (Holidays, birthdays, our anniversary…) and put all of our money into a savings account. As the gift-less year came to an end, we were (and still are) both pretty happy. Of course we bought the kids their usual assortment of jammies, books and art supplies for Christmas morning, but deciding not to gift each other has actually relieved a bit of stress…so we just make out more.

So another year has come and gone. 2012 looks like it is going to be loaded with a multitude of personal and professional changes, from a new home to a new work studio, new websites to new appilances, this will be the year we finally start living our real lives. …because you know, everything up until this point was just practice and learning, right?

From my family to you and yours, much love and well wishes for a kick-ass 2012. ♥

It has been an insane few months both personally and professionally around here!

Want a bite?

Luxury Lane Soap has been working around the clock finishing up the Holiday rush and going over inventory for the new year. There are tons of new products in development and just as many giveaways planned for the next few months ahead. Until then, here is a delicious chocolate cupcake for you to drool over. swoon

Right? Yum…

Please feel free to leave a comment below with any suggestions you have or any ideas for what you would like Luxury Lane Soap or Hemp Bath to bring you in the new year!

Testing the WP app after I just put on a matte screen protector WITH NO BUBBLES! No trapped dust or fibers! #LifeHack: If you ever get fibers or dust on the sticky side as you lay the protector down, use tape to stick it off. For the love of all things coated in sugar, do not touch it with your fingers. You are dirty.

The screen protector came from CrazyDigital on Amazon. The protectors (set of 3 Military grade, $10ish w/ship) took way to long to get here and the CS of CrazyDigital is lacking. That alone, I won’t buy from them again. The product itself is…decent. A little small, doesn’t cover the pad completely but it is in a case which covers the naked sliver of an edge so it is ok, for me, for now.

The matte screen definitely dulls the display. I also feel like there is a millisecond lag. However, I do feel better with it on. I had my pad…which needs a name…naked for a week and I swear there is a pinhole sized nick. *Edited to add that I am pretty sure the space bar is not responding as well with this screen protector on. Every other key seems to be ok, just having issues when in landscape. It has been over twoish weeks and no mystery bubbles have appeared.

Now for some sort of review on the app…wow, it sucks. Essentially this is a notepad because I still need to open this on my laptop to put in links. *Edited to add that this is not true. There are very easy to use short cut buttons…I just have yet to use them.